I 


TechrJcal  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


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Coloured  covers/ 
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Covers  damaged/ 
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I      I    Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 


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Couverture  restaurAb  et/ou  peiiiculAe 

Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

Coloured  maps/ 

Cartes  gtographiques  en  couleur 

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Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
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n 


Bound  with  other  material/ 
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Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

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L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
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□    Coloured  pages/ 
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□    Pages  damaged/ 
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I — I    Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 


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r~~|  Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 

I      I  Pages  detached/ 

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I      I  Quality  of  print  varies/ 

I      I  Includes  supplementary  material/ 


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obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  filmA  au  taux  de  reduction  indiquA  ci-dessous. 


10X 


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ire 

details 
es  du 
modifier 
ler  une 
filmage 


The  copy  filmed  here  has  been  reproduced  thanlts 
to  the  generosity  of: 

Library  of  Congress 
Photoduplication  Service 

The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


L'exemplaire  filmd  fut  reproduit  grdce  d  la 
g6n6rosit6  de: 

Library  of  Congress 
Photoduplication  Service 

Les  images  suivantes  ont  6t6  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  la  nettetd  de  l'exemplaire  filmd,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 


I 


^es 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  e^e  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  -^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprimde  sont  film6s  en  commenpant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
p!at,  selon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  film6s  en  commenpant  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparattra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  — ►  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 


ire 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
filmds  d  des  taux  de  reduction  diffdrents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichd,  il  est  film6  d  partir 
de  Tangle  supdrieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  ndcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mdthode. 


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John  and  Sebastian  Cabot, 


A  FOUR  HUNDREDTH  ANNIVERSARY  MEMORIAL 
OF  THE  DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA. 


Harry  Hakes,  M.  D. 

MEMBER  OF  THE  WYOMING  HISTORICAL  AND  GEOLOGICAL  SOCIETY 
THE  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY  OF  PENNSYLVANIA,  &C.,  4C. 


Read  before  the  Wyoming  Historical  and  Geological  Society, 
June  24th,  1897. 


Prepared  at  the  request  of  and  pubiisi  cd  by  the  Society. 


WILKES-BARRfe,  PENN'A. 
1897. 


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John  and  Sebastian  Cabot, 

a  four  hun[)rei)th  anniversary  memorial 
of  the  discovery  of  america. 

Hakky  Hakhs,  M.  D. 

SIKMIII'.U    111'     IHK    WVOMIM.    M  IS  I  1  IK  ll'AI.     VSI)   l.KDI.I  M  ,ir.\(.    SOLI  I-.  1  S  , 
nil'.    lllsroKHAI,    Slie'lKlV    Ol-     I'KNSSM.VKNIA,    ,tC.,    .tC. 


Run  111  iiiui     Mil    Wvo.Misi.  llisnuuiM.  ami  (Iiih.oi.uai.  Sociktv.      ■    )  k' i  -.-Id. 

J  I   M-,    J^lll.    1S97. 


Prepared  at  the  request  ot  and  published  b\-  the  Society, 


1/ 


wii.kks-iiakkk,  rr.NN  a. 
i;i(>7. 


19^^ 


K.  I!.  VOKUV,  rUlMl.K, 

WI1.KBS-BARKK. 


•f'-. 


ty 


"liiiii  .  I  --^-»^ 


■  ^fw,'^,::,W"- 


JOHN  AND  SEBASTIAN  CABOT. 


KKAi"  liiiMKK   iin;  wvoMiMi  in>ri>Ric  Ai,  ,\ND  (;k()i,i>i;icai.  socikiv, 

IIV    IIAKKV    HAKI'.S,   M.  n., 

Ii'Ni:  24,    1S97. 


>^A. 


Mr.  Pfisidcuf,  LadiL's  and  Geiit/cmen  : 

Patriotism  is  a  seiitiinent,  a  clis|)(isiti(>n  of  the  licart,  and 
fiiids  many  and  widel)-  diffurciit  modes  of  exemplification 
and  expression,  as  slioutin;^,  rini^in;^  bells,  fwhv^  car.non, 
processions,  fastin;;-  and  prayer,  music,  raisiiiLj  monuments, 
and  ercctin;^  arches,  &c. 

The  celebration  of  the  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  the 
ileclaration  •  '"  American  independence,  and  the  world's  fair  at 
Chicaojo,  commemorative  of  tlie  four  hundredth  anniversarj- 
of  the  discovery  of  America  b\-  Columbus,  as  well  as  the 
recent  dedication  of  the  tomb  of  General  Grant,  and  the 
erecti(Mi  of  a  beautiful  equestrian  statue  of  Geort^e  Wash- 
in;4ton,  were  acts  indicative  of  a  noble  patriotism.  Not- 
withstanding the  history  of  the  world  shows  a  ^reat  pre- 
ponderance of  military  hcro-worshi[),  rather  than  tributes  to 
the  ^rand  heroes  and  leaders  in  the  domain  of  ideas,  yet 
there  is  much  to  encourage  the  thousrht  that  the  ;;rade  of 
learnin;::,  of  civilisation,  of  philosophy  and  religious  ethics 
now  foreshadowed,  to  distinguished  the  past  from  the  future, 
will  more  and  more  predominate,  to  determine  that  the 
world's  greater  heroes  arc  those  whose  labors  culminate  in 
producing  the  greatest  degree  of  universal  peace  and  happi- 
ness without  bloodshed  and  terror. 

In  this  brief  paper  it  is  as  impossible  as  unnecessary,  and 
out  of  place,  to  attempt  to  produce  a  polished  literary  gem. 
History,  however,  is  more  than  a  mere  chronological  state- 
meat  of  facts.     In  its  broader  conception  it  must  embrace 


^immM^im 


the  philosopln-  or  ideas  which  constitute  the  ^rouiul  work 
upon  whicli  all  facts  arc  based.  In  otlier  words,  theory 
must  precede  action. 

John  Cabot,  ceti.ainly,  and  Sebastian  Cabot,  pussibl)-,  were 
the  first  Kuropeans  to  discover  the  American  continent  and 
make  record  and  carto;4ra|)liica!  reproenlation  of  the  same, 
preserving  to  all  posterity  the  time,  pi. ice  and  circumstance 
of  their  discov.-r\-.  To  tlie  present  time  the  American  peo- 
ple have  neglected  to  place  oi".-  stone  ..i)oi\  another  desii^ncd 
to  memorialize  those  men,  or  to  express  ;^ratitiide  for  tlie 
geographical  discovery,  which  either  made  our  grer.t  nation 
a  possibility,  or  an  accomplished  fact.  While  we  claim  for 
the  Cabots  the  distinguished  lionor  of  the  first  view  of  the 
American  continent,  technically,  and  in  fact,  we  do  not  pre- 
sume to  nanic  them  as  the  discoverers  of  America,  in  the 
largest  and  more  just  st.-iise  of  the  phr.ise.  That  ilistin- 
guished  honor  the  world  has  Ujng  since  accorded  to  Chris- 
topher Cobunbus,  and  their  righteous  judgment  should 
never  again  be  disi)uted.  1  he  discovery  and  exploration  of 
America  camiot  be  uiulerstcotl  by  <Wt'  tlistinct  statement  of 
fact.  The  results  of  various  navigations  and  explorations, 
attended  with  much  peril  and  anxious  solicitude,  covciing  a 
period  of  two  huntlrcd  years,  makes  intelligible  and  plain  to 
us,  what  to  the  early  n;.\'igators  and  explorers  was  chaotic 
and  at  most  dubious,  and  solely  problematical.  Nor  is  it 
necessary  for  tlie  purp'ises  of  thi:-;  paper  that  v,e  review  all 
that  early  history  in  detail.  The  nautical  problem  and  the 
geograjihical  discoveries  proposed  by  Diaz,  D,i  Gama,  Co- 
lumbus, Magellan,  Verrazano,  and  the  Cabots,  was  not  to  find 
an  unknown  continent,  but  solely  to  ascertain  the  most  feasi- 
ble route  to  tiie  eastern  shorc.>>  of  Asia.  At  the  time  the  Ca- 
bots made  iheir  first  vo)'age  of  discovery  all  the  knowledge 
that  Euroi)e  possessed  pertinent  to  the  great  problem, was,that 
Columbus  had  come  upon  islands  in  the  Atlantic  which  he 
and  all  others  supposed  was  the  continent  of  Asia,  or  immedi- 


] 


ate  oiitli'iiv^r  islaiuls.  That  disi^dvciy  was  ni.ulf  on  the  elev- 
enth clay  ofOctober,  A.D.  1492.  Wlieii  Coliinihus  letiinied  to 
Spain,  in  the  Spring  of  1493,  and  rc()orttd  his  discovery,  I'opc: 
y\lexander  \'l  promptly  proceeded  to  make  partition  be- 
tween Spain  and  I'ortuj^al.oi'allthe  re;^M()ns  oftlie  eartii  lying 
between  Western  lui-opc  and  l^astern  Asia  This  decree 
(technically  called  a  "bnll")  jrave  all  lands  discovered,  or  to 
be  discovered,  to  the  west  of  a  meridian  one  hundred 
leagues  west  of  the  A/ores  and  Cape  Verde  islands  to  Spain, 
and  all  lands  eastwa/d  of  that  line  to  Portug.d.  The  con- 
vention of  Tordesil.as.  June  7,  1494.  fixed  the  line  of  de- 
marcation at  a  meridian  570  leagues  west  of  the  Cape  Verde 
islands.  This  was  very  acceptable  to  Spain  and  Portugal, 
but  England  recognized  no  such  right  or  authority  w  the 
Papal  office.  In  the  meantime  the  discover)-  of  Columbus 
was  bruited  among  the  PJiglish  people,  and  at  the  English 
court.  Both  court  and  people  were  pricked  with  enterprise 
to  compete  witli  Spain  for  a  share  of  what  was  to  be  gained 
by  discoveries  at  the  west.  This  fact  is  the  proper  introduc- 
tion of  the  Cabots  to  our  consideration.  We  need  con- 
stantly to  keep  before  our  minds  the  total  ignorance  of  all 
parties  at  that  time  of  the  real  nature  of  the  discovery  of 
Columbus.  Columbus  supposed  he  had  reached  I'Lastern 
Asia,  and  no  one  then  could  dispute  his  claim.  No  correct 
conception  was  i)ossible  untii  twenty  years  had  passed,  and 
Halboa  had,  from  the  height  of  Darien.  discovered  ten  thou- 
.sand  miles  of  ocean  breadth  between  the  newly  discovered 
lands  and  Ea.stern  Asia. 

J"hn  Cabot,  like  Columbus,  was  a  native  of  Genoa.  Me 
late'  removed  to  Venice,  and  became  a  citizen  of  that  place. 
He  migrated  to  England  about  the  year  1490,  with  his  three 
sons,  the  second  of  them  being  Sebastian,  who  wa.s  24  or  25 
years  of  age  in  1497.  The  ser\  ices  of  father  and  son  are  so 
commingled  and  confused  by  the  chroniclers  of  their  day  that 
it  is  an  impossible  task  on  our  part  to  justly  (h'stinguish  and 


iLiJi.y.].ij.j>. 


1  * 


divide  the  lionors  between  them.  I  can  find  nothing  u\nvc 
suitable  with  whicli  to  prehido  tlie  navit^ation  of  the  Cabots, 
and  tile  inspirini^  motives,  than  tlie  statement  in  after  years 
made  to  tlie  I'ope's  ICnvoy  in  Spain  I;y  Sei),istian  Cabot. 
Mc  says:  "When  news  tliat  Don  Cliristopher  Coloniis 
(Genoese)  had  discovered  the  coasts  of  India,  wliereof  was 
great  talk  in  all  the  court  of  King  Henry  VII,  who  then 
reigned,  insomuch  that  .dl  men,  with  great  admiration, 
affirmed  it  to  be  a  thing  more  divine  than  human,  to  sail  by 
the  west  into  the  east,  where  spices  grow,  by  a  map  that  was 
never  known  before.  By  this  fame  and  report  there  increased 
in  my  heart  a  great  flame  of  desire  to  attempt  some  notable 
thing."  Whether  liis  father  was  moved  to  the  same  extent 
anil  by  the  same  desire  as  his  son  we  are  not  informed.  It 
is  known  that  Sebastian  Cabot  was  well  versed  in  cos- 
mography, ami  on  his  removal  to  S[)ain,  some  time  after 
making  his  voyages  for  England,  was  commissioned  pilot- 
major  for  Si)ain,  an  office  he  held  for  several  years.  The 
Cabots  appear  to  have  fully  a[)preciated  the  bearing  upon 
great  circle  sailing,  caused  by  the  shortening  of  the  degrees 
of  longitude  ;is  we  move  further  north  or  south  from  the 
e([uator.  Hearing  in  mint!  that  Columbus  had  sailed  nearly 
i\uc  west  on  the  latitude  of  the  Canary  islands,  discovering 
land  after  sailing  53  days  and  3200  miles,  the  Cabots  rightly 
reasoned,  that  by  sailing  from  Bristol  in  England,  on  latitude 
53  degrees  north,  Lhey  would  come  to  the  coast  of  Asia,  the 
land  tiiat  Columl)us  was  supposed  to  have  discovered,  in 
about  two-thirc's  of  the  time,  aiul  two-thirds  of  the  distance, 
that  characterized  the  voyage  of  Columbus.  When  this 
plau.siblc  theory  was  by  them  ex{)lained  to  King  Henry,  he 
quite  readily  granted  a  patent  to  John  Cabot  and  his  sons, 
upon  ap[)arcnt  liberal  terms  and  conditions,  to  undertake  a 
westerly  voyage  of  discovery.  They  were  to  sail  from,  and 
return  to,  the  port  of  Bristol ;  must  sail  under  the  flag  of 
Englantl,  and  take  possession  of  all  lands  discovered  for  the 


1  ^"nkii  iii iKwJt' JKfltlU 


British  crcun,  aiul  n-tiirn  onofifth  of  tlu'  pnifits  of  the  expe- 
dition to  the  kin^^  1^'"^  He'iiiy  w.is  more  discreet  than  the 
Sjjanish  kini;,  for  he  diil  nnt  bestow  upon  Cabots  tin-  title 
of  viceroy  over  the  lands  tliey  nii^lit  discover,  as  Ferilinand 
had  to  Colinnbus.  Tlie  kiwj;  tluis  wisely  avoiiletl  any  U'i^mI 
contest  witli  the  Cnbots  or  tlieir  heirs  as  to  ^^^reat  and  im- 
portant rii^dits  and  prero<^atives. 

Our  subject  is  pon(ler(»us,  in  tliat  it  relates  to  fjreat  men 
anil  {greater  events,  therefore  1  must  deal  somewhat  by 
wholesale,  for  our  men  are  ^'iants  in  the  world's  history,  and 
cannot  be  estimated  by  or  compared  with  common  stand- 
ards, nor  can  I  now  attempt  measurements  of  the  earth  by 
inches.  Let  us  for  two  minutes,  in  imaLjination,  [;o  back  to 
our  little  old  red  school-house  by  the  country  roadside, 
and  refresh  our  reco. lections  in  geography.  I'lease  take 
seats,  facing  the  north,  rit,dit  hand  east,  left  hand  west,  at 
our  backs  south,  the  Eastern  hemisphere  is  at  the  rii,dit,  and 
the  Western  at  the  left.  Open  your  m.ips  at  the  familiar  nid 
representation  of  the  hemispheres  of  the  earth  on  plane. 
Now  we  take  a  small  brush  and  dip  it  in  the  blackest  of 
black  ink,  indicative  of  total  it,Miorance,  and  proceed  to  ob- 
scure those  parts  of  the  earth's  surface  of  which  luiropeans 
had  no  knowledije,  and  only  t|uite  incorrect  conception,  on 
the  mornintj  of  the  3d  day  ol  August,  A.  D.  1492.  On 
that  day  Columbus  sailed  on  his  first  and  most  important 
voyage  to  the  west. 

We  place  our  brush  a  little  to  the  south  and  west  of  the 
southerly  extension  of  Greenland,  on  the  Goth  parallel  of 
north  latitude,  and  draw  a  line  east,  on  that  parallel,  to  the 
meridian  of  25  dctjrees  west  lon^ntude,  and  follow  that  me- 
ridian to  the  ecjuator,  and  blacken  the  whole  of  the  Western 
hemisphere  west  and  south  of  our  lines.  Now  draw  a  line 
from  the  right  hand  or  eastern  border  of  the  Eastern  hemi- 
sphere, at  latitude  40  degrees  north,  and  draw  a  straight 
line  to  the  eipiator  to  the  meridian  of  longitude  1 10  degrees 


wmmmi^m 


m&m 


cast,  and  follow  the  aiuator  to  the  west  border  of  the  hem- 
isphere. Hl.ickcii  all  south  and  last  of  our  lines  to  the 
niar^jin  of  tiie  hemisphere.  Voii  now  observe  that  tlie  whole 
of  the  land  of  the  American  continent  has  dis.ippeared,  to- 
gether with  the  greater  portion  of  the  Atlantic  ocean,  and 
the  whole  of  the  Pacific  ocean  ;  about  one-half  of  Africa  is 
in  mourning,  together  with  Australia,  and  tlie  isl.inds  to  the 
east  and  north  and  to  the  south  to  the  south  pole.  What 
remains  unpainted  upon  the  hemispheres  is  more  of  the 
earth's  surface  than  with  which  I'airopeans  were  fairly  ,ic- 
(luaintetl.  In  all  the  historical  works  of  Mr.  John  Fiske,  he 
has  done  no  better  service  to  the  present  or  for  future  gen- 
erations than  by  his  persistent  insistance  of  the  necessity  of 
our  first  banishing  from  our  niinds  our  modern  maps,  ;is 
preliminary  to  a  just  understanding  of  the  difficulties  that 
beset  the  early  theorists  and  navigators.  An  examination 
of  the  charts  and  ma[)s  made  by  them  when  they  attempted 
to  delineate  their  new  di.'icoveries  anil  connect  them  to  the 
Eastern  and  better  known  hemisphere,  will  show  us  at  once 
the  difficulties  they  encountered.  At  the  date  last  above 
given,  August  31I,  i.j^j,  there  was  a  single  grand  geograph- 
ical problem  demanding  solution;  and  that  was,  "  Could 
Europeans  travel  to  Ivisiern  Asia  b)' an  all  water  or  sailing 
route  ?"  There  was  then  two  theories.  The  Portugese  had  an 
idea  that  it  might  be  possible  to  sail  around  the  south  of  Afri- 
ca, and  reach  the  Indian  ocean,  which  was  known  washed 
the  western  shores  of  India  and  China,  Her  daring  navi- 
gators were  at  that  very  date,  with  doubt  and  trepidation, 
slowly  ploughing  the  water  of  the  Atlantic  southward  on 
the  western  coast,  to  ascertain  the  southern  point  of  Africa, 
if  there  was  any.  At  this  period  Columbus  had  determined 
to  anticipate  the  project  of  Portugal,  by  a  voyage  directly 
westward  over  the  unknown  and  untraveletl  Atlantic, 
making  a  shorter  journey  than  by  the  Portugese  theory. 
S[)ain,  at  the  moment,  was  witnessing  his  (k:parture  in  her 


\ 


interest.  iCmoiK-  u.is  dii  tlu;  tiptoe  of  iwcitcmcnt  .iiid  liupr- 
ful  expectation.  Tlic  objective  point  of  eitlier  naviv;atic)n 
was  the  same;  the  ostensil)le  motives  llur  same — commerce, 
trade  and  h.irter ;  hut,  in  f.ict,  as  was  soon  to  he  manifest, 
concpiest  and  phnuler.  Down  to  the  first  of  May,  1497,  all 
that  had  heeii  discovered  for  .Si)ain  by  Columbus  was  Cuba, 
San  Domingo,  Jamaica,  and  half  a  dozen  sm.iUer  islands  in 
the  immeiliate  vicinity.  Tluis  the  problem  stood  on  that 
day.  Listen  ;  ,1  low  mutterin;^  llunider  reverijcrates  over 
luirope.  It  is  the  threatening  ^m-owI  of  the  Ikitish  lion  ;is 
he  breaks  from  his  l.iir.  l[e  sniffs  the  scent  i.f  lar^^^e  ^ame, 
a  continent  of  royal  j^ame.  His  eyes  are  balls  of  fire,  iiis 
claws  .IS  iron,  his  jaws  set  with  teeth  of  steel  as  he  crouches 
in  pre()aration  to  seize  his  prey.  1  le  brushes  aside  the  Pope's 
bull.  The  hull  took  to  the  woods  or  sank  beneath  the  At- 
lantic's waves  as  the  lion,  with  a  bound,  sets  his  claws  in 
the  soil  of  the  American  continent,  while  John  Cabot  [)lants 
the  royal  standard  of  KiiLjland.  June  24,  1497,  recallin^^  to 
us  the  louLj  drawn  words  of  a  youthful  play,  HOLD- 
FAST-A  LL-I-GIVK- YOU. 

From  that  June  niornintf  1497,  I'"ni,danil  could  m.ike  law- 
ful claim  to  the  whole  Aniericm  continent,  by  rii,dit  of  first 
discovery.  That  is  horn-book  law,  sound  law,  from  the 
hcirinning  to  the  end  of  the  world.  The  right  by  first  dis- 
covery e.Ktends  to  and  embraces  all  land  conncctetl  by  con- 
tinuity of  visible  and  tan;4i!)le  siu-face  with  the  place  of 
discovery. 

John  and  Sebastian  sailed  early  in  May  1497,  in  the  ship 
Mathew,  with  a  crew  of  eij,diteen  men.  They  took  a  course 
a  little  north  of  west  ami  discovered  land  early  in  the  morn- 
iu}^  of  the  24th  day  of  June  following,  after  sailing  by  their 
recoiling,  2100  miles.  They  planted  the  flag  of  England 
upon  the  land,  hut  saw  no  native  inhabitants.  They  dis- 
covered   immense  shoals   of  cod-fish  on  those  coasts,  so 


/ 


MX*  IMh 


10 

dense,  that  they  impeded  the  sailinjf  of  tlieir  ship.  Hy  the 
kilter  part  of  July  follovvin<.j  the  Cabots  liad  returned  to 
Bristol  and  made  report  of  their  voyat^e.  Tlie  precise  place 
of  their  ferra  pri))ia  visa  (laiul  first  seen)  lias  nover  since 
been  determined,  but  it  is  certain  that  it  was  in  the  ret^ion  of 
Newfoundland,  most  probably  at  Cape  lireton.  And  it  is 
quite  certain  that  upon  that  voyaL,^'  they  did  not  visit  the 
coast  of  Labrador  as  some  writers  have  asserted.  Such  a 
claim  .irises  by  commingling  or  reversing  the  places  of  land- 
ing of  the  two  voyages  nnide.  King  Henry  was  so  well 
])]eased  with  the  reports  of  discovery  that  he  gave  John 
Cabot  fifty  dollars,  wherewith  he  might  take  a  spree,  antl  in 
silken  dress  show  himself  to  Londoners  as  tlie  great  navi- 
gator who  had  found,  for  King  Henry,  a  ."-horter  route  to 
Asia  than  CoKimbus  had  for  Spain. 

A  second  and  similar  patent  to  the  first  was  granted  to 
the  Cabots,  and  Sebastian  Cabot  set  sail  again  to  renew  and 
extend  the  d'  coveries  of  the  former  voyage.  He  sailed  in 
149S,  this  time  with  five  ships.  As  we  have  never  heard  a 
word  again  of  John  Cabot,  nor  know  what  became  of  him, 
it  has  bejn  surmised  that  he  died  before  the  expedition 
sailed,  but  we  cannot  assert  it  as  a  fact.  Sebastian  Cabot 
certainly  sailed  with  the  fleet,  and  for  aught  we  know,  John 
also  sailed.  It  seems  strange  to  us  that  if  the  son  knew 
what  became  of  his  fither,  he  never  alluded  to  it.  Sebastian 
Cabot  completed  the  second  navigation,  discovering  land, 
first,  on  the  coast  of  Labrador.  After  following  the  coasts 
northward  to  a  high  degree  of  latitude,  and  finding  the 
weather  very  cold,  and  the  coa.st  still  trending  north,  he 
turr^ed  about,  following  the  coast  southwardly,  we  know  not 
precisely  iiow  fir,  but  quite  certainly  not  as  far  as  Florida, 
as  some  have  con':ended.  On  this  voyage  native  inliabitants 
were  seen  on  the  coasts.  Three  were  captured  and  taken 
to  England.     Bears  and  otiier  animals  were  seen.     Sebas- 


'^  .'V  » 

,,r^.    .WllPlMWIlMi'illllll^^^ 


II 

ti;in  C;il)ot  made  nide  cliart  I'thc  coasts,  which  in  enL;ravc(l 
form  aiul  on  parchment;  aiui  oxhide,  may  -'et  be  seen — par- 
ticularly La  Cosa's  map,  I  500,  and  the  Cautiiio  map  of  l  502. 

Of  course  Sebastian  returned  to  lMi.<;land  without  having 
found  the  land  of  jierfumes  and  spiciis  which  Spain,  I'ort- 
Mtral  and  lui^land  were  so  anxiously  seekin;^,  or  a  sailing; 
route  through  the  American  continent  by  which  he  mi^ht 
sail  to  lands  further  west,  (or  as  we  understand  it  now,  to 
Asia.)  l^ut  Cabot  at  the  time  believed  the  land  to  be  Asia, 
thouLjh  not  so  rich  a  portion  as  he  had  expected  and  desired. 

The  final  outcome  of  the  Cabot  voyaijes,  we  state  in  a  few 
words.  The  only  immediate  resuts  were  to  incite  other 
navi^iitors  to  ;^o  to  the  same  regions  for  cargoes  of  codfish, 
and  to  renew  the  search  for  an  all  water  route  somewhere 
through  the  lands  discovered,  to  the  richer  land,  supposed 
to  lie  to  the  west.  Their  navigations  were  folowed  by  Fro- 
bisluT,  Kut,  Grube,  I  ludson,  Baffin,  Drake  and  many  others. 

In  my  "Discovery  of  America,"  published  in  1893,  in  the 
early  chapters  will  be  fnund  an  ei)itome  of  early  American 
navigators,  and  their  relative  claims  to  priority  of  discover)-, 
to  which  I  make  neither  additions  or  subtractions.  As  be- 
tween John  and  .Sebastian  Cabot ;  we  may  say  that  John 
was  master  of  the  first  expedition,  and  that  Sebastian  ma\' 
or  may  not  have  accompanied  his  father.  It  a[)i)ears  more 
than  probable  that  he  did.  Sebastian  certainly  saiieil  and 
reported  the  second  expedition,  and  that  his  father  was  not 
in  that  voyage,  but  probably  had  died  Iiefore  the  expedition 
sailed.  If  not  so,  and  he  did  embark,  a  serious  duty  de- 
volved upon  his  son,  on  the  return  of  the  expedition,  to 
account  for  the  loss  of  his  father.  As  this  was  not  done  or 
required,  the  inference  is  irresistable  that  John  was  not  in 
that  expedition.  Neitlier  of  the  voyages  appear  to  ha\-e 
profited  either  the  Cabots  or  the  king  a  dollar.  Mainly  what 
we  learn  of  the  Cabots'  voyages  is  from  friendly  and  gos- 
siping letters,  written  by  foreigners  in  luigland,  to  friends 


and  acquaintances  in  Italy,  Spain  and  Pi>rtui;al.  Those 
letters  have  no  official  authority,  but  contain  ihe  common 
talk'  of  tin;  people  in  roLj.ird  of  the  current  news  of  the  ex- 
pedition of  the  Cabots. 

l)urin^i,r  the  eighty  years,  succeeilin^  the  discoveries 
of  the  Cabots,  Eni;land  nii^ht  lawfuUv  have  claimed  the 
lands  and  regions  of  this  discovery,  by  ri^ht  of  discovery. 
England,  however,  neviT  attemj)ted  to  tak-e  permanent 
possession  of  !;cr  American  discoveries,  until  the  reign  of 
Queen  I'^lizabeth,  and  in  the  meantime  other  nations  had 
visited  the  lands,  which  tended  to  obscure  and  somewhat 
obliterate  the  luiglish  title  thereto.  However,  in  1607  she 
took  p(Xssession  on  llie  coast  of  Virginia,  for  the  puri)ose  of 
colonization,  which  was  followed  in  1630,  by  the  pilgrims  of 
the  Mayflower,  taking  possession  at  Plymouth,  on  the  coast 
of  Massachusetts.  England,  then  as  ever  since,  never  re- 
linquished voluntarily  any  right  once  acquired  to  an  acre 
of  land  in  an)-  part  of  the  world.  Thus  it  was  110  years 
from  the  discovery  of  Cabots,  to  the  first  attempt  made  by 
I'jigland  to  make  a  permanent  settlement  of  her  American 
disccweries.  Of  course  the  pioneer  settlers  were  English 
stock,  and  brought  with  them  English  language,  English 
laws,  luiglish  customs,  and  above  all,  in  power  and  precious 
utility,  the  spirit  of  [)olitical  independence,  and  in  a  full  meas- 
ure the  spirit  of  religious  liberty.  The  very  soil  of  America 
seemed  exactly  and  providentially  adapted  to  the  germi- 
nation and  growth  of  the  spiritual  seed  sown,  so  dear  to  our 
fiirefathers  and  so  precious  to  us,  their  descendants.  Had 
our  region  of  North  America  been  colonized  by  Portugal, 
Erance,  Italy  or  Spain,  the  great  nation  of  the  United  States 
of  America  would  never  have  been  born.  In  recollection 
of  their  mother  country,  there  is  but  little  wontler  that  t)ur 
early  settlers  named  the  new  possession  ".Vew  England." 

Do  you  query   what  this  country  would   have  been   or 
would  be,  under  the  aus[)ices  of  Portugal  or  Siiain  ?     If  so, 


•^.V".~Iv-»i..--  - 


il.  Those 
;  common 

of   tllL'  cx- 

liscovcrics 
aimed  the 
discovery. 
[)crmHncnt 
ic  reiLjn  of 
itions  had 
somewhat 
1  1607  she 
[)uri)ose  of 
liigrims  of 

I  the  coast 
never  re- 

to  an  acre 

I I  o  years 
t  made  by 
American 
e  Knt^lish 
J,  English 
d  precious 
full  meas- 

)f  America 
he  germi- 
Jear  to  our 
nts.  Had 
'  Portugal, 
ited  States 
L-coIlection 
;r  that  t)ur 
ngland." 
e  been  or 
n  ?     If  so. 


13 

look  upon  a  hundred  thousand  emigrants  as  they  arrive 
upon  our  shores,  or  look  at  Cuba,  or  tiic  I'hiliiiinc  islands, 
or  the  ilecadenc(,'  of  l'(jrtugal,  where  once  originated  the 
enterprises  which  culminated  in  the  disco\er\-  of  America, 
and  all  our  grandeur  .is  a  nation. 

1  fmcy  I  hear  you  ask:  What  motives  impelled  those 
earl)-  navigators  aiul  exjilorers  to  make  >uch sacrifice  of  time 
.uul  money,  to  etnbark  upon  such  uncertain  expeditions 
upon  unknown  waters  :;iid  desert  wastes;  to  iniperil  their 
li\-es  and  fortunes  upon  such  rash  ventures;  to  undergo 
years  of  toil,  such  terrible  anxiety  and  suffering  ?  With  them, 
as  witii  men  in  all  ages,  G(jid  antl  Glory  took  front  rank 
among  the  motives.  Hut  strange  as  it  may  now  seem,  it  was 
not  the  eye  or  ear's  delight  onl)-.  nor  geographic  curiosity, 
that  was  consulted.  The  sense  of  smell  commanded  a  greater 
attention  and  was  a  greater  factor  in  [)rompting  the  astound- 
ing enterprise.  We  are  speaking  of  an  age  when  sanitary 
science  cut  no  figure  in  the  affairs  of  life — an  age  before 
the  ingenius  Vankee  had  made  and  patented  a  thousand 
varieties  of  toilet  s.iap— an  age  before  a  gospel  of  personal 
and  general  cleanliness  was  preached  or  practiced.  Per- 
fumery, to  take  the  place  of  soap  and  water,  was  in  great 
dcTiiand.  Rare,  expensive,  and  loud  perfumes,  to  antagonize 
and  stifle  the  offcnsiveness  of  unwashed  nature,  commanded 
a  premium,  ami  its  extrav.igant  use  then  mdicat'^tl  wealth. 
and  the  up[)ercrust  of  fashionable  society.  In  keeping  with 
the  ideas  of  the  times,  it  was  the  sign  and  seal  of  aristocracy, 
as  creditable  then  as  discreditable  and  unnecessary  ni)W, 
however  rank  the  [)erfume.  Spices  and  perfumes  were  not 
indigenous  in  lunope.  Such  merchandise  came  from  the 
extreme  and  unknown  Kast  by  caravan  to  Alexandria,  in 
Egypt.  The  transportation,  added  to  the  cost  of  produc- 
tion, made  such  goods  enormously  expensive.  Portugal 
first — followed  by  Spain,  and  lastly  by  England,  all  desired 
a  monopoly  of  that  trade.     This  it  was  that  brought  into 


JtVl».'t4ta.1M«Jfc  T"»'     IIWK 


.~,'t    II m    '"■!  ■ 


■IfeMl 


-ai»> 


tlmS» 


mtm 


iAt^ 


V    1/ 


) 


\i 


,■    I 


"4 

prominence  tlie  great  navii^ators  already  mentioned,  includ- 
ing^ the  men  whose  names  and  exploits  we  are  assembled  to 
honor  and  commemorate. 

The  people  of  the  United  States  have  j^rown  to  be  a  na- 
tion of  the  first  rank  in  power,  in  wealth,  in  enlightened 
intelligence,  and  in  prosperity.  Our  form  of  government, 
founded  upon  the  eternal  principles  of  liberty,  governed  by 
law,  the  e(iuality  of  men  and  liberty  of  religious  conscience, 
that  we  have  amply  demonstrated  the  powers  of  self-govern- 
ment by  the  people,  without  the  bunleii  of  standing  armies 
to  keep  the  peace.  We  think  our  forefathers  did  wisely  in 
divorcing  the  chm-cii  from  the  state,  ;ind  that  time  has  now 
shown  the  world  that  peo])le  of  all  manner  of  religious  opin- 
ions may  dwell  tog^'ther  in  i)eace  and  harmony,  and  that 
our  system  an  1  means  of  education  make  strong  and  secure 
the  family,  the  church,  and  the  state.  In  receiving  the  price- 
less inheritance,  our  people  mu^t  re.ilix.e  the  solemn  and 
binding  obligation  which  binds  us  to  keep  and  preserve  all 
our  dear  institutions,  pure  and  intact,  embellished  in  all  their 
parts  and  principles,  for  all  succeeding  geuirations. 

And  now.  imbued  with  the  patriotism  that  is  proper  and 
becoming  the  occasion,  we,  without  ostentation  or  pageant, 
without  trumpet,  drum  or  fiddle,  in  the  absence  of  monu- 
ment of  either  stone  or  brass,  devote  a  passing  hour  in  re- 
membrance of  the  men  whose  names  suggest  this  pleasant 
duty,  and  the  four  hundredth  anniversary  of  their  discovery 
of  the  land  we  possess  in  great  peace  and  abundant  pros- 
perity. 


t   :' 


\, 


MHMiHM 


Li,  includ- 
Miiblcd  to 

)  be  a  na- 

lightcned 
/crnmciit, 
,'eiiicd  b)- 
)nsciencc, 
lf-<];()vcrn- 
\\<^  armies 

wisely  in 
;  has  now 
ious  opin- 

and  tliat 
lid  secure 
the  i)rice- 
lemn  and 
•eser\e  all 
in  all  their 

iroijer  and 
r  pacjeant, 
of  moiui- 
our  in  re- 
is  pleasant 
discovery 
.iant  pros- 


' 


